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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26364799">so, today i will wear my white button down</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilaclavenders/pseuds/lilaclavenders'>lilaclavenders</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>a burning hill [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>A gentle dose of angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Canon, Sokka is distraught, Zuko is being honest about his feelings aw</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 06:34:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,163</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26364799</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilaclavenders/pseuds/lilaclavenders</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p></p><blockquote>
  <p> <em> “I know it’s hard,” Sokka sighs. “I just hate that you’d rather sacrifice your happiness for whatever the greater good is at any given moment, which makes you a wonderful leader-“</em></p>
  <p> <em>“But an awful boyfriend,” Zuko huffs in realisation, sitting up.</em><br/></p>
</blockquote>Zuko finally starts to accept that Sokka is stubborn and won’t leave his side despite all that he’s done.
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>a burning hill [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1894720</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>71</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. chapter one</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>oh finally we’re heading into a more 🥺 part of this relationship bc zuko’s insecurities are like a hydra and sokka’s willing to slay all of the heads. all of them. but then sokka calls out zuko for wanting to keep the hydra alive bc it’s always been there even if it’s always bothered him deeply, and finally makes the killing blow. i guess</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p2"><span class="s2">Sokka idly plays with Zuko’s hair as he whispers of stories that happened during the war, speaking of swords, destinies and all the people who came at the wrong time. </span> <span class="s2">“It’s weird, I always thought I’d never change, but I know I’m always changing ‘cause the more I look up at the moon, the longer I can stand looking at her without feeling guilty,” Sokka admits. </span></p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">Zuko hums, letting himself drift away in the calm of Sokka’s arms. “I get it, sometimes I avoid going to the areas of the palace that directly lead to where...  <em>he’s</em> locked up.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">Sokka curiously asks, “If you were never born royalty, do you think you’d be any different?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">“For starters, I probably wouldn’t exist since Azula would’ve burned down the whole planet by now,” Zuko jests.</span>
</p><p class="p2">”That’s true,” Sokka agrees. “But do you think you’d be happier if you didn’t have all of <em>this</em>?” He gestures vaguely with his free hand.</p><p class="p2">“I can’t say since the planet’s been burned down by Azula,” Zuko nonchalantly replies.</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">“Zuko, I’m serious, you avoided this conversation last time!”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">“I did not,” Zuko grumbles, looking away. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">”Zuko,” Sokka says, unimpressed.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">“I know,” Zuko snaps. He breathes for a moment. “I can’t help it.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">“I know,” Sokka sadly says. “You hear us when we tell you that I love you, but you refuse to accept it.”</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">“But you know I love you,” Zuko desperately says. “I really do.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">“That’s not what I’m saying,” Sokka wraps his arms tighter around Zuko. “I know you love me! I’m concerned because you don’t really believe me when I say I love you.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">Zuko tenses up at Sokka’s words.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">Sokka continues, ”You always act as if you’re ready for me to leave at any given moment. Zuko, all of my clothes are folded up next to yours, we wake up at the same time to eat breakfast together, and I tell you almost everyday that I want it to be like this forever!”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">Zuko starts to sniffle, and buries his head between the pillows and Sokka’s chest.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">“I know it’s hard,” Sokka sighs. “I just hate that you’d rather sacrifice your happiness for whatever the greater good is any given moment, which makes you a wonderful leader-“</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">“But an awful boyfriend,” Zuko huffs in realisation, sitting up. He buries his head in his hands. “I’m sorry. It’s hard, you know? Learning and unlearning stuff- I just wanted to be perfect... ‘cause it was a lot easier when we were friends because we were allies, then I didn’t have to worry about what I wanted, and I’d be content with loving you at a distance.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">“I have never once asked for you to be perfect, and I knew exactly what I was signing up for, so don’t pull that card on me,” Sokka says. “Besides, you may be fine with being self-sacrificing while pining from a distance, but I’m not- I’m a <em>very</em> hands-on person.” </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">Zuko laughs wetly through his tears, and he feels Sokka chuckling beneath him. “Okay, I’ll keep that in mind.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">“Good!” Sokka then carefully asks, “So, what do you want for us?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">Zuko stays silent for a few moments, letting Sokka play with his hair again. He says, “I think I want to take a trip, a real trip, away from here, just the two of us - not as the Firelord and his ambassador.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">“Okay,” Sokka says with a smile, pressing his lips against Zuko’s cheek. “Where would we go?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">“We could go to the beach for a while, maybe even find a few shells while we hold hands?” Zuko suggests timidly.  </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">Sokka quietly chuckles at Zuko’s sudden shyness, he gently prods for him to continue. “T</span>
  <span class="s2">hat sounds great, what else?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">“We could go to the theatre, watch this awful, <em>awful</em> play my mother loved, I’d help you pick out snacks and we’d sit in the back, so you can make fun of the actors while I try to put a serious face, but I’d actually be grinning the whole time,” Zuko gradually gets louder, and the room gets brighter too. “Then we can spend all night talking.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">Sokka suggestively asks, “Just <em>talking</em>?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">“<em>Well</em>,” Zuko says, thoughtfully. “We could have tea too.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">“When would we go?” Sokka giddily asks, with a grin, leaning his head on top of Zuko’s shoulder, loosely draping his arms in front of him. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">“Uh,” Zuko grabs Sokka’s hands and pulls him up. Sokka yelps, and Zuko laughs while he asks, “We could go now?” </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">Sokka responds by peppering kisses all over Zuko’s face and neck. “Is that an order?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">”Yes.”</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p3"> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>you should read the second chapter of the instalment with zuko and iroh sending letters to each other to and from ember island before this</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Okay,” Sokka clarifies, his voice low, “so we’re doing this?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“We’re doing this,” Zuko echoes with a nod, and the blue in Sokka’s eyes is almost a little too much for him to look at.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“We’re gonna travel the whole world and you’re gonna be next to me the whole time,” Sokka says in disbelief. He hesitates, “And I’ll be able to hold your hand and stuff?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“The whole time,” Zuko reiterates, “No diplomatic business or anything.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Sokka narrows his eyes and asks, “This is what you want?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“This <em>is</em> what I want,” Zuko says with a nod, squeezing Sokka’s hand.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Sokka slowly nods, “You’ve planned out this whole thing on the nights I’ve been asleep?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah, I did,” Zuko laughs. “You’re a <em>very</em> heavy sleeper.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Sokka blinks at the map, dotted with smudged notes and unfinished phrases that end with hearts, a whole journey of things he’ll learn about Zuko and he’s already excited. “Okay, so we’re doing this,” Sokka says again, because he’s at a loss for words.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“We are,” Zuko shyly says. “Uncle’s offered to talk to the council about this... they all agree that I need a bit more... life experience before I fully take the throne.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“<em>Wow</em>,” Sokka says, in a daze. “You actually, really wanna do this, like <em>really</em> want this.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so confused before,” Zuko comments. “It’s very cute,” he adds, with a lopsided smile.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I’m going to ignore that comment because you are lucky I love you a whole lot,” Sokka says with an unimpressed look.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Zuko gently pinches Sokka’s cheek and chastely kisses his lips. “I love you too.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“That’s good, otherwise it would be very awkward,” Sokka nonchalantly replies, but his cheeks are burning.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“It would,” Zuko agrees, and begins to tell Sokka about his plan to take him around the world, to see the places he’s seen with his Mother and Uncle, a map of all the things he thought he buried a long time ago.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Hey,” Sokka says, after a while.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Hm?” Zuko replies, in the middle of adding another destination to their journey.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Thank you for choosing me,” Sokka whispers.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Zuko looks up in surprise, and Sokka’s head is resting on his arms, looking back at him with a sleepy gaze. “If I knew I would be this happy, then I should’ve chosen you a long time ago.”</span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1"> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hehe yes they just take a trip to ember island for a couple of months which i will write about - including zuko finally asking for more in terms of his life with sokka and less in terms of his life as a leader</p></blockquote></div></div>
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